FIFA president Gianni Infantino claims 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 teams

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 teams.

A similar tournament format was set to commence in 2021, with China as the host. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn't go through. The year 2025 is now being targeted by the governing body to introduce the new tournament format.

Gianni Infantino said (via Sky Sports):

"The details of the location still need to be discussed but it has been agreed and decided that a 32-team Club World Cup tournament will go ahead making it like a World Cup."

He continued:

"I don't know what the British press says or doesn't say, but I know what we've decided and that is that there will be a Club World Cup of 32 teams to be played every four years and the first edition will take place in 2025 in the summer."

Gianni Infantino also spoke about the duration of the tournament and the timeline from which the new rules will come into effect.

Infantino said:

"During that slot where in other years it would be the Confederations Cup, it will be slightly longer because there are 32 teams so it will last a bit longer but they will be the best teams in the world who will all be invited to participate."

He added:

"But all of the details will be developed in due course and we will decide where it will take place as well over the next few weeks or months in consultation with all of the stakeholders."

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Gianni Infantino claimed FIFA cares about the well-being and health of the players

Gianno Infantino said that FIFA was the only organization that didn't host any tournaments during the COVID-19 pandemic. It did so in a bid to secure players' health and well-being.

The FIFA president said:

"Everyone else postponed their competitions but then shortened them or played them [at a later date] but we had a Club World Cup planned in 2020 with 24 teams that was cancelled. It wasn't replaced or postponed, and we did that because we wanted to allow for the Copa America, the European Championships and we wanted to protect the health and well-being of players."

Gianni Infantino added:

"We didn't want to over-burden the calendar. That brings me to another issue and allows me to underscore that when we talk about the [FIFA] product over the next four years, the Club World Cup is not included in that $11bn forecast. That forecast is without taking into account this Club World Cup. So I think we're going to have an even greater sum that we'll be able to invest in world football over the next four years."